The Battle Has Just Begun
by SakuraNights01
Summary: Kirbopher enjoyed beating down newbie players and chumps left and right, but finds himself wishing for a bigger challenge. A partner, even. Then one day, he finds more than he asked for.


"Sorry, if you can't even put up with _that, _then clearly you're not worth the time!" Kirbopher called out gleefully after the two freshly-beaten players who were now making a quick retreat. He laughed when one cried out "asshole!" as they disappeared into the distance. Sheathing his sword, he dusted off his hands, then began making his way back up the purple mountainside. At the top, he stopped to take a breath and gazed out at the violet landscape.

;Lavendera was practically made for him.

It was usually the first place he visited when logging in. The one place in TOME where battling was encouraged, his stomping grounds. It must have been embedded in his code, at this point. Pure bliss. There was simply nothing like the rush of a fight.

Of course, it was probably more fun with a friend or partner, but Flamegirl was a little too uptight and sassy for his tastes. Nylocke was a gung-ho roleplayer, which would get on his nerves fast, and GC… he couldn't really get a read on him, so he was an instant no-go.

On top of that, they were all too busy contemplating the hackers "problem". That, in itself, was another issue altogether. He wasn't about to let his _day_ _job_, of all things, interfere with his free time (not that they would ever need to know about that). And on that note… if Kizuna weren't such a workaholic all the time, maybe they could enjoy TOME for what it is, for once. But he could never blame her for it. At the very least, she didn't bother him or judge him too harshly when he just wanted to have fun.

Solo battles it was, then. It _would_ be kind of nice to encounter a player who wasn't a stick in the mud every now and then. Or, at the very least, maybe someone who wasn't a sore loser. Admittedly, lots of newbie players came through ;Lavendera - chumps, easy pickings. Enough to get a quick thrill for a few minutes before they ran off crying. He'd already fought off a couple of reports for bullying (on WHAT grounds, he had to wonder), but that didn't put a stop to the way he wanted to play his game.

Kirbopher was beginning to get bored from his post when the familiar sound of a player's login touchdown rang out. He peered over the edge of the cliffside and spotted his next prey: an unremarkable guy with spiky, red hair, wearing all blue clothing, had wings, a tail… overall, simple in design. But the design wasn't important, he'd come to learn; their battle skills, on the other hand, might prove to be a different story.

The kid glanced around, uneasy. After a moment, he slowly began walking, keeping his head ducked and low. Nervous, unsure of himself, all by his lonesome…

An easy target, this time.

Kirbopher watched for a second more before unsheathing his blade and leaping down from his vantage point, prepared to strike. The newbie caught sight of his attack immediately and jumped out of the way with a yelp.

_Well, that was new._

"Nice dodge, kid, but let's see how you handle this!" Kirbopher let out a war cry and charged forward with his sword at the ready. The new opponent floundered for a second before summoning a green, circular disk-shaped object from his palms, catching the blade like a shield. He still held a shocked expression on his face, but there was an odd glint in his eye, something Kirbopher had yet to see in any of his previous opponents. And he, too, felt just the tiniest spark of something he had been missing all this time.

Kirbopher jumped back and began striking the green disk repeatedly. Each blow was caught easily, and the kid hopped away before tossing the disk directly at him. It ground against his defending sword before dissipating into thin air.

Now, with some confidence, the kid summoned lightning strikes from the sky, and Kirbopher slipped and sidled around the bolts.

"An all-arounder, huh? It's a typical choice for a newbie, but you're actually not bad…." He skidded to a stop, placing the edge of his sword against the ground. "...But not good enough! _Dust Tornado!_" In one swift movement, he swung the sword upwards. A flurry of dust and wind overtook the other player, resulting in a win for Kirbopher.

It was the first time he'd had to resort to his magic in a fight. Now _that_ was fun.

"Well, a loss is a loss!" He sheathed the sword once more, ready to head back up the mountainside. "Now run along, I've got other chumps to beat down."

"...One more time."

"...what?"

"One more time! Please!" The kid stood up and walked closer, enthusiasm emanating off of him in waves. His grin, his pluckiness - so soon after being defeated, too - might've been admirable, if only he didn't carry the air of a child asking a parent for permission. "That was incredible..! I've played other VR games and fighting simulators before, but that battle was… unreal! It was amazing!"

Kirb watched, speechless, as the newbie paced around, waving his hands in front of himself as he spoke. And in that moment, he felt a strange sense of pride swell in his chest.

The battling aspect of TOME, while it wasn't his creation, was a part of the game he himself had fine-tuned and perfected. It was often overlooked; not many thought to consider the mechanics or intricate details behind it. This was fine by him, as long as people took the battles seriously and wholeheartedly.

"You… really liked it that much, huh?" Kirbopher asked when the new player finally stopped his praises to take a breath.

"Are you kidding me? I loved it!"

Kirb's ever-present smirk changed to a small, more genuine smile.

"Uh… well- well good! It's the best part of TOME, so... you'd better get used to it!"

"I will, thanks!" He hesitated for a beat before finally holding his right hand out. "I'm… A-Alpha. What's your name?"

"Heh… Kirbopher. It's like 'Christopher', but curvier, y'know?" He, too, extended his right hand. But instead of taking hold for a handshake, he gave the waiting hand a light slap, then held out a fist for a fist bump, which Alpha eagerly returned.

"So… wanna go another round? I'll even teach you the basics, since you look like you could really use them."

"Ha, yeah! We'll see about that!"

This time, properly, a red and blue battle grid was loaded up, and soon the battle was on.


End file.
